


Dies Irae

by HASA_Archivist



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Canon - Engaging gap-filler, Canon - Enhances original, Characters - Good use of minor character(s), Characters - Well-handled emotions, Plot - Bittersweet, Plot - Can't stop reading, Plot - Dangerous topic w/satisfying end, Plot - Disturbing/frightening/unsettling, Plot - Fast moving, Plot - Good pacing, Poetry, Subjects - Legends/Myth/History, Subjects - Military, War of the Ring, Writing - Clear prose, Writing - Engaging style, Writing - Every word counts, Writing - Evocative, Writing - Mythic/Poetic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-26
Updated: 2015-06-26
Packaged: 2018-04-06 08:49:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4215350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HASA_Archivist/pseuds/HASA_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Battle of the Pelennor, the Dawnless Day and the Downfall of Numenor. A try to write Middle-Earth's <i>Dies Irae</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dies Irae

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the HASA Transition Team: This story was originally archived at [HASA](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Henneth_Ann%C3%BBn_Story_Archive), which closed in February 2015. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in February 2015. We posted announcements about the move, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this author, please contact The HASA Transition Team using the e-mail address on the [HASA collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hasa/profile).

See the day that's never breaking,  
horror-struck, a world awaking  
to behold its own unmaking.  
Númenorë, to remind us,  
burning history to find us,  
night-stained destiny to bind us…

Stars are failing in the distance,  
hope has winked out of existence,  
suffocating our resistance.  
Broken horns are calling, calling,  
those who stumble, ever falling,  
shadow-tide is rising, crawling.

Storm of swords and wind of sorrow  
drown the remnants of tomorrow  
in the face of nameless horror.  
Still the drums are beating, beating,  
thunderous as they're repeating,  
memories are all but fleeting.

Hope is wasted, truth is dying  
in the darkness we're defying  
as the winds are ever crying.  
Anduin, your bloodied waters  
cannot save what hatred slaughters,  
slain our sons, defiled our daughters,

Rammas Echor, torn and broken,  
ancient glory's blood-stained token,  
prophecies that died unspoken  
in the sound of distant thunder,  
come to tear the world asunder,  
and in emptiness we'll wander

As the world is rent in fire  
of the Nameless Lord's desire,  
blazing like a blackened pyre,  
breaks the day and drowns the morning,  
death has come without a warning,  
blood-red skies as doom is dawning.

Hope is torn as all is ending,  
drowning all that we're defending,  
and in helplessness we're standing.  
The Unconquered, Uncontested,  
falls by hands ever detested,  
once-white glory blood-infested.

And the shards of our salvation  
stained by tears of desperation,  
rising doom's manifestation,  
drowned in waves of shadow growing  
floods of steel like water, flowing,  
wisdom fades and dies unknowing.

Númenorë, to remind us,  
burning history to find us,  
night-stained destiny to bind us  
Númenorë, rent in fire,  
war of wrath and poisoned ire  
paid the price for your desire.

Fade we must and dwell in sorrow  
in a world of lost tomorrow,  
witness to our own unmaking.  
Sleep we must and dream unwaking,  
mourning as the earth is shaking  
for a day that's never breaking.

*******

**Author's note:**  
The metre etc. used in this poem is obviously taken directly from the _Dies Irae_ even though it's not 100% accurate (if you look closely you'll notice the ending is slightly different).


End file.
